Eagle Shooting Hero 2(99)
Yin Zhiping had more or less guessed what he wanted, but since he was not willing to say it out loud, Yin Zhiping did not quite know what to do. He lifted his hand to scratch his head and looked bemused.
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Miss Cheng remembered something: when a girl was too shy to say her heart’s desires, the mother or her sisters would usually ask her questions, and determine what she really wanted by her nodding or shaking her head. Although it was not the best method, it would usually reveal the contents of the girl’s heart in the end. For instance the mother would ask, “Child, are you in love with Zhang San’ge [Third Brother surnamed Zhang]?” The girl would shake her head. “Is it Li Silang [Fourth lad of Li family]?” The girl would shake her head again. “Then it must be the Wang family’s cousin.” The girl would hang her head without saying anything which meant the guess was correct.
Thereupon Miss Cheng said to Yin Zhiping, “Elder Martial Brother Yin, you ask big brother Lu questions. If it is correct, he will nod, if wrong, he will shake his head. That way he won’t say anything to betray his own school.”
Yin Zhiping was delighted. “Little sister…that is a wonderful idea. Brother Lu, let me tell you first about my business. My Master, Changchun Zhenren, happened to hear that the Master of Peach Blossom Island hates the Six Freaks of Jiangnan to his soul and that he is going to wipe out the entire six families from the face of the earth. My Master immediately set out to Jiaxing to deliver a warning, but the Six Freaks were not at home. They were traveling somewhere. Thereupon my Master visited the six families one by one and told them to escape. When Island Master Huang arrived, he did not find a single person. He was livid and lashed out his anger to the air…then he went north. I don’t know what happened afterwards. Do you know of this matter?”
Lu Guanying nodded. Yin Zhiping continued, “I think Island Master Huang is pursuing the Six Freaks to the north. Originally there was some friction between my Master and the Six Freaks, but first, this friction has been taken care of, secondly, my Master greatly admires the Six Freaks’
chivalrous deeds in helping others in distress, and finally, my Master thinks this matter is not the Six Freaks’ fault at all. It so happened that the Quanzhen Seven Masters were having a meeting in Jiangnan and hence they spread out to find the Six Freaks, to warn them of this danger. It would be best if they could go into hiding in a faraway place so that your Grandmaster won’t be able to find them. Don’t you agree that we are doing the right thing?”
Lu Guanying repeatedly nodded his head.
Huang Rong was puzzled. “Jing ge ge has already fulfilled his promise to go to Peach Blossom Island. Why would Father still want to settle the debt with the Six Freaks?” She did not know that her father had heard Lingzhi Shangren’s lie and believed that his daughter had died at sea.
Therefore, grief-stricken, he wanted to vent his anger on the Six Freaks.
She listened as Yin Zhiping continued, “Since he could not find the Six Freaks, my Master then remembered the Six Freaks’ disciple, Guo Jing. He is a native of Ox Village in Lin’an prefecture and has most likely returned to his hometown. For that reason my Master sent little brother to find him here. Chances are he would know his six masters’ whereabouts. Did you also come to this place regarding this business?”
Lu Guanying again nodded his head. Yin Zhiping said, “Who would have thought that Brother Guo has not come home yet. My Master is very fond of the Six Freaks, but since he could not find them, he did not know what else he could do. But since this is the case, Island Master Huang might not be able to find them either. Brother Lu wanted to ask for my help…does it concern this matter also?”
Lu Guanying nodded. Yin Zhiping said, “Whatever orders Brother Lu might have, please tell me.
Little brother will do his best to fulfill your wish.”
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Lu Guanying did not open his mouth and he looked quite bemused. Miss Cheng said with a smile,
“Older Martial Brother Yin, you forget that Young Master Lu [Lu Xiang Gong] cannot open his mouth to speak frankly.”
Yin Zhiping smiled, “That’s right,” he said. “Brother Lu…do you want me to wait for Brother Guo in this place?” Lu Guanying shook his head.
“Do you want little brother to find the Six Freaks and Brother Guo then?” Yin Zhiping asked. Again Lu Guanying shook his head.
“Ah, I get it,” Yin Zhiping said. “Brother Lu wants little brother to spread the news in Jianghu. The Six Freaks are natives of Jiangnan. Once the word is out, sooner or later they will hear it.”
Lu Guanying again shook his head. Yin Zhiping proposed seven or eight more guesses, but Lu Guanying kept shaking his head. Miss Cheng also asked him two questions, but none of her guesses were correct either. Not only was Yin Zhiping confounded, but Huang Rong in the adjacent room was equally so. The three were in a deadlocked situation for a long time. Finally Yin Zhiping laughed and said, “Little Sister Cheng, you can talk with him…I cannot play this riddle game any longer. I am going out for a walk. I will be back in a couple of hours.” With that he went out the door.
Other than Hou Tonghai, Lu and Cheng were left alone. Miss Cheng hung her head and she noticed that Lu Guanying still had not made a move. She stole a glance at him just as Lu Guanying was also looking at her. Their eyes met and both hurriedly glanced away. Miss Cheng blushed even redder than before and hung her head even lower so that her chin touched her chest. Her hands played with the silk tassels at the end of her sword’s hilt.
Lu Guanying slowly stood up and walked to the nearby stove above which was a Kitchen God idol.
He stood in front of the Kitchen God idol and said, “Kitchen God, this lowly person has a burden in my heart, but I cannot reveal it to anyone else. I am going to bare it all to you, hoping that with your divine power you will bless this matter.”
Miss Cheng silently praised him, “A smart man.” She raised her head to listen carefully.
Lu Guanying said, “This lowly person is Lu Guanying, the son of Manor Master Lu of Cloud Manor by Lake Tai. My father’s name is Chengfeng and he is a disciple of Island Master Huang of Peach Blossom Island. A few days ago my Grandmaster came to the manor and he said he wanted to kill the Six Freaks of Jiangnan and their entire families. He ordered my father and my Older Martial Uncle [Shibo] Mei Chaofeng to help find the Six Freaks’ whereabouts. Older Martial Uncle Mei has a deep enmity with the Six Freaks, so she accepted this order with gladness. Not so my father since he knew the Six Freaks of Jiangnan as patriots and chivalrous heroes. Killing them would not be righteous. Moreover, my father has become friends with the Six Freak’s disciple, Younger Martial Uncle Guo and therefore, he could not simply ignore this matter. My father had received an order from my Grandmaster, so he was in a very difficult position. He had a mind to dispatch this lowly person to deliver a warning to the Six Freaks of Jiangnan, telling them to go into hiding and save their lives, but he could not betray his own master. That night my father looked up to the sky, heaved a deep sigh, and softly talked to himself, revealing his concerns. This lowly person was nearby and heard everything. Being a filial person I share my father’s sorrow.
Eventually my Grandmaster left and this lowly person departed that very same night to try to find the Six Freaks and deliver the warning.”
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Huang Rong and Miss Cheng both thought, “It turns out he is copying his father’s method of telling someone without betraying his school.”
They listened to Lu Guanying continue. “The Six Freaks were nowhere to be found, but I remembered their disciple, Younger Martial Uncle Guo, but he is also nowhere to be found.
Younger Martial Uncle Guo is my Grandmaster’s son-in-law …”
“Ah!” Miss Cheng could not help but exclaim softly, then hastily covered her mouth with her hand.
Originally she was attracted to Guo Jing and thought she was in love with him. She did not realize it was only a young girl’s infatuation and not true love. Today she’d met Lu Guanying who looked distinguished, handsome and elegant. In all respects he seemed superior to Guo Jing. When she heard that Guo Jing was Huang Yaoshi’s son-in-law she was shocked, but not at all sad or heartbroken. On the contrary, she felt relieved. She also recalled at Baoying she’d noticed that Guo Jing and Huang Rong were very close to each other. All of a sudden it did not matter to her anymore. Unconsciously, the heart of this young woman had already been taken by somebody else.
Lu Guanying heard her soft exclamation. He wanted to turn around and look at her face, but he forced himself to bear with it. He thought, “If I acknowledge someone is listening from the side, I must stop talking altogether. That day when Father talked to the heavens, he never once looked in my direction. Right now I am talking to the Kitchen God. If she is listening, that means she is eavesdropping and I have nothing to do with it.” Thereupon he continued, “I am hoping that when I find Younger Martial Uncle Guo, he and Martial Aunt Huang [Huang Shigu] will beseech the Grandmaster to show mercy. My Grandmaster is hot-tempered, but he loves his daughter and sonin-law, so it is possible that he will not kill his son-in-law’s masters. However, from the way my father talked, it sounds as though Younger Martial Uncle Guo and Martial Aunt Huang have encountered some calamities. Whatever they were, it was not convenient for me to ask it of my father.”